Ji Beicun followed him out of the hospital with trepidation, wiping the tears from his face before cautiously speaking, “Brother Yanchuan, how did you… Ah!”
Qin Yanchuan punched him in the face.
“Brother, brother, Brother Yanchuan, I was wrong!” Ji Beicun fell to the ground, hurriedly begging for mercy.
Qin Yanchuan crouched down, kneeling on one knee, grabbing his collar with one hand and punching him again.
Ji Beicun was beaten dizzy.
Qin Yanchuan lifted him up by the collar, his dark eyes filled with a sinister intensity. “She went abroad with you, and this is how you take care of her?”
“I, I didn’t…” Ji Beicun trembled in fear.
“If something like today happens again, I won’t let you off.”
Qin Yanchuan stared at him, his voice cold and stern.
“Yes…”
He released his grip and stood up. “Don’t tell her I was here.”
Ji Beicun nodded shakily. “Yes, yes.”
Qin Yanchuan returned to the hospital, pushed open the door to the ward, and saw Wen Yunsheng still lying in bed, her face pale.
It was 4 a.m. in the UK, with heavy snow falling outside the window, while the ward was heated.
He sat down in the chair by the bed, quietly watching her as she slept. Her small face had grown thinner, and her lowered eyelashes couldn’t hide the slight redness in her eyes.
Except for the time she was locked in the storage room when she was five, he had never seen her cry.
Even when they broke up, she was willful and resolute, not looking back.
For Ji Beicun, she had reduced herself to this state.
Did she like him that much?
He sat quietly by the bed, silently listening to her even, shallow breaths, remaining there until dawn.
By the time the sky brightened, Wen Yunsheng woke up. The doctor re-examined her and confirmed she was fine, so Ji Beicun took her home to rest.
Qin Yanchuan stayed in Edinburgh for three days.
Wen Yunsheng resumed her normal classes the day after she woke up. She studied diligently, just as before, afraid of falling behind in her coursework. With final exams approaching, she dared not relax.
Edinburgh’s winter was bitterly cold. Bundled in a thick down jacket and scarf, half her face buried in the fabric, she moved clumsily across campus like a penguin.
After class, she would eat with classmates and go to the library to study and do homework.
She would even pause her steps for a beautiful Christmas tree, taking out her phone to snap a photo before pulling open the glass door to enter a café and buy a hot latte.
All just to get the café’s limited-edition Christmas commemorative coin as a free gift.
There was no trace of despondency on her face. She still lived like a lively little bird, earnest and joyful.
It was as if the incident that had upset her enough to land her in the hospital had never happened.
He couldn’t quite describe his feelings.
In the end, he didn’t stay too long. There were many matters at the company, and he had postponed numerous tasks to rush here. They were still waiting for him to return and resolve them.
Before leaving, he pushed open the door of that café, bought a hot latte, and received an identical commemorative coin.
Qin Yanchuan lowered his gaze, looking at the coin resting quietly in his palm. The cold, hard surface had been warmed by the heat of his hand, and as his fingertip brushed over it, a faint warmth emanated.
Like a spark, faintly flickering.
If he wasn’t careful, it would leap up, flames spreading wildly, hard to suppress.
He closed his fingers, tucking the coin into his palm, his eyes growing even darker.
The next morning, Yun Sheng woke up with dark circles under her eyes.”Why do you look so pale? Didn’t sleep well last night?” Aunt Jin asked with concern.
“I was reviewing brand materials last night and accidentally stayed up a bit late,” Yun Sheng replied, taking a sip of milk.
“You silly child, are you trying to kill yourself over a job?”
“This design proposal is urgent for the company, and I want to familiarize myself with the brand as soon as possible to come up with a plan quickly.”
Yun Sheng knew nothing about the brand yet, so it was impossible to produce a satisfactory design proposal without first understanding the products. She had stayed up all night going through all the brand materials, losing track of time.
“Your health comes first,” Aunt Jin reminded her.
Yun Sheng smiled. “I know, Aunt Jin. This project is very important, but I promise I won’t do this again.”
For her, this was the first project since joining Xinqi, so she naturally wanted to perform well and secure the first achievement. Not only would it allow her to directly become a full-time employee, but it would also serve as a badge of honor. As a newcomer, opportunities like this were rare, so she had to seize it firmly when it came her way.
“You must free up your schedule this weekend. Your grandmother’s headaches have been acting up again lately, so we should go visit her,” Aunt Jin said.
Yun Sheng paused, hesitating. “But Grandmother… she doesn’t really like me.”
Grandmother might not want to see her.
Aunt Jin patted her hand. “That’s all the more reason to go. Otherwise, she’ll be even more displeased.”
Yun Sheng had no choice but to nod. “Alright.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”
“Okay.”
Qin Mingqian and Qin Cisui entered the dining room, and Aunt Jin dropped the topic, instructing the servants to set the table.
After breakfast, Yun Sheng headed to work.
During the morning meeting, Yun Sheng briefly shared her ideas.
“The target audience for this Bluetooth earphone brand is young people, so our advertising design should incorporate elements like energy, dynamism, and freedom. I think an animated format might be more eye-catching.”
Yun Sheng elaborated on a few creative angles.
The team leader’s eyes lit up, and he immediately said, “That works! Your idea is quite good. Draft a simple design proposal first. If it’s solid, I’ll submit it directly!”
Yun Sheng nodded. “Alright.”
The team leader smiled and patted her shoulder. “Well done! As expected of a top graduate from a prestigious university. I knew I wasn’t wrong about you, Yun Sheng. Keep up the good work.”
Yun Sheng smiled. “Thank you, team leader.”
After the meeting, Wang Ruohan pulled Yun Sheng aside as they walked out, whispering in admiration, “You’re really full of surprises! You usually speak so slowly, but I never expected you to be so efficient, coming up with a plan this quickly.”
“I stayed up late reviewing materials last night.”
“That’s just unfair. You’re so talented and hardworking—how are slackers like me supposed to survive?”
Yun Sheng shook her head with a smile. “I just didn’t want to hold everyone back.”
Wang Ruohan said earnestly, “You know, if you can really pull off this design proposal, you might even qualify for the year-end competition.”
She added playfully, “Remember me when you make it big! When you succeed, make sure to look out for me.”
Yun Sheng nodded. “Okay.”
The sound of high heels clicking echoed down the hallway as Lin Yanke arrived late once again. She was on the phone as she walked, sounding impatient. “When have I ever been idle? I’m at work every day, aren’t I?””Yes, yes, yes, I can’t compare to my cousin. The things she spends all day scheming about, I wouldn’t even deign to do!”
“She’s just lucky, having latched onto the Qin family, bragging about it all the time.”
“So annoying, I’m hanging up.”
Lin Yanke hung up the phone, looked up, and suddenly met the gazes of Yun Sheng and Wang Ruohan.
Lin Yanke shot them a warning glare, and the two of them lowered their heads to continue with their work.
Lin Yanke then stomped past them, went to her own workstation, and started playing games.
At six o’clock, Yun Sheng was still sketching when her phone rang a few times.
She unlocked it and saw a message from Lin Xi.
【Want to grab dinner together after work?】
【Peeking kitten.JPG】
Yun Sheng replied: 【Working overtime today, can’t make it】
【Petting kitten head.jpg】
Lin Xi: 【How did you become such an overtime maniac? I was thinking we could go to Ji Beicun’s bar today】
Yun Sheng: 【Maybe in a few days. I’ve been rushing a design proposal lately and haven’t had much time】
Lin Xi: 【By the way, your brother saw you with Ji Beicun yesterday. Did he scold you?】
【No, I explained it clearly, and he didn’t say anything.】
Besides, Qin Yanchuan never scolds people.
Lin Xi: 【That’s it?】
【What else?】
Lin Xi: 【And Ji Beicun was scared out of his wits like a little coward. I thought it was something serious! Eye roll.jpg】
Yun Sheng smiled: 【He’s timid, doesn’t even dare watch horror movies】
Lin Xi: 【Ahahahahahahahaha】
Ji Beicun: 【？？？】
【Who’s spreading rumors about me!!!】
Yun Sheng was taken aback, and upon closer inspection, realized that Lin Xi had sent the message in their small group chat, not privately.
Ji Beicun: 【Wen Yunsheng, just you wait!!!】
Yun Sheng turned off her phone and pretended to be dead.
Yun Sheng worked overtime until eight o’clock, finally completing a rough design draft before leaving work.
Stepping out of the company, the streets were bustling with traffic, and neon lights glowed brightly.
She didn’t head straight home but was drawn to the exquisite clothing and goods displayed in the shop windows of the commercial district.
She still owed Qin Yanchuan a thank-you gift.
Better to give it to him sooner rather than later. He was particularly petty these days, or else he’d definitely find a way to make sarcastic remarks.
She wandered into a few shops, browsing around, and finally stopped at a pen store.
She decided to buy a fountain pen.
In the store, Yun Sheng chose a Montblanc black gold-plated fountain pen.
After paying, she took a photo and searched for Qin Yanchuan’s chat window on WeChat. The conversation history was completely blank.
After breaking up four years ago, she had deleted the chat records. In the four years since, they hadn’t exchanged a single message, as if they had become strangers.
Now, four years later, with time having passed and circumstances changed, they had let go of everything and returned to their original positions.
Time truly was the best medicine.
Yun Sheng sent a photo of the fountain pen.
【This is a thank-you gift】
Yun Sheng closed the box, placed it in the gift bag, and was about to leave.
Her phone chimed.
The reply came quickly: 【Bring it to Wanghaichao】
Wanghaichao was a high-end restaurant in the capital. Was he at a dinner party right now? Then why should she go there?
Her phone chimed again: 【Hurry up】
Yun Sheng had no choice but to type: 【Okay】
Yun Sheng left the store, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and headed to Wanghaichao.